Preconceived Notions
by SaveYourselfIllHoldThemBack
Summary: When they first met, she decided he was an arrogant jerk. He decided she was scornful and couldn't be bothered with anyone. Can they break through these preconceived notions and find themselves again when it's all over?
1. Chapter 1

**Authors note: Disclaimer: I don't own these characters or anything Twilight, nor am I making any money off of this story. Everything Twilight related belongs to Stephenie Meyer.  
Hi. Soo... this is my first attempt at writing anything anyone will ever see. Give it a shot? Thanks =)**

**BPOV**

Edward Mason. Of course I knew of him. Did I know the guy personally? Nope. But that didn't stop my poor ears from being badgered with every detail of this stranger's existence. I knew everything from his favorite color to the fact that he didn't like cats.

"Oh!" squealed my best friend Alice. I flinched, then narrowed my eyes and tried to concentrate on the road. I mean, someone had to drive the car. And I couldn't tear Alice away from her stupid gossip magazine long enough to drive to the local grocery store.

"Alice, you're going to get us both killed if you don't stop screeching every time you see his name!"

"Sorry Bella, it won't happen again," she murmured distractedly. I knew it would happen again. "But did you know that his favorite city is Paris? We have so much in common!" I rolled my eyes at her; she was acting like a 15 year old fan girl.

Believe me, I was trying not to be a killjoy, but sometimes it was just hard. Especially when you had a little elf in the next seat chirping about how "handsomely, spectacularly, wonderful" this Mason guy was. I just didn't understand it. Couldn't see the magical appeal that led millions of girls to worship him. He lived a glamorous life, making who-knows how much money, and what did he do for it? Hire a few songwriters, a bit of autotune and makeup, and voila! Superstar. The rest of had to work for what we had in life. Alice promised me it would all make sense when we got there

You see, Mr. Handsomely Spectacularly Wonderful Edward Mason was a singer. A full blown, all out star. Alice was dragging me to a local bar to listen to him sing. Which I didn't understand, because if you're a full blown, all out star, why would you be playing in Seattle's local bars? I told you I didn't understand him. Anyways, I suspected Alice had ulterior motives for dragging me out to the city for a night of fun. Like setting me up on a date, or throwing me a party. I sighed. I remembered when people didn't have to trick me into things like dates and parties. Hell, I remembered when people still attempted to trick me into things like dates and parties. _Don't be bitter, Bella, you wanted this, remember? _I chastised myself. It wasn't my friend's fault, wasn't my family's fault that I turned out all wrong. Alice was my only exception to my self-exilement. I was grateful for her friendship. Which… is why I was going to an Edward Mason concert with her tonight.

**EPOV**

I was dreaming. Of course. That explained it. Because there was certainly no other logical explanation as to why I was hearing voices. Why I thought someone was talking to me. When the world thinks you're as fabulous as it thinks I am, there's no way it will let you get away with a normal lifestyle (or sleeping schedule). It was only natural that girls tried to follow me home when I finally gave up the charade and left to get some piece. Most nights, I let one lucky one come with me. Sometimes two… or three. But that didn't explain why I was hearing voices. Definitely dreaming. I rolled over, closed my eyes, and tried to sink back into oblivion.

"Eddie, I'm hungry. Why don't we go get something to eat?" Definitely not dreaming. Damn it. I bolted upright and glared at the offending woman in my bed. She was hot: nice body, blonde hair, pretty blue eyes. But that didn't mean she was supposed to be in my room when I woke up.

"Didn't I tell you to get out of here?" I griped. No one was allowed to stay the night. Once they were done with me, I expected them to leave and let me be in peace. Most of them had no problems with that; they only wanted one thing from me. Some needed a bit more convincing, but they always left. I couldn't stand it any other way.

She glared at me like _I_ was the one doing wrong. "No. You were beyond wasted and passed out right after we got here," Huh. Usually I could handle my liquor pretty well.

"I'm sorry I wasn't able to entertain you last night. I assure you , that was a rarity," I looked up at her through my lashes and winked, trying to woo her into compliance. I could be extremely charming when I wanted to be. Then I remembered the situation we were in and the charm switched off like someone pulled a plug. "Well. I'll call you a cab and you can be on your merry way." It took a while, but I finally got her out of my house. Obviously I didn't get her number, but I hoped I'd see her again. Like I said, she was attractive, and it wasn't the poor girl's fault I was too drunk to tell her to get out. What was her name again? Laurel? Lauren? Maybe it was Candy. Didn't matter much; they didn't care what I called them and they were easily replaced.

I had to scrub twice in the shower to get the evidence of the night before off of me. I went through the same routine every morning, or in some cases afternoon. I didn't even think about it anymore. When I went downstairs for my "morning" coffee, I stopped short. Staring gravely at me from the giant window was the skyline of my city. Seattle. That explained why I was too drunk to function the night before. Why I was too dysfunctional to even tell Candy to leave the hotel. This was the city where it all started and ended.

Without trying to be cocky, I was a pretty big star. I played in stadiums and sold out. But this was Seattle. I couldn't show my face in a fake light while I was here. I was doing a semi-private show in a local bar I used to frequent. Anyone was allowed in, but there was no advertising. Hopefully that would attract the real fans, instead of the people who either wanted me for my body or just wanted to be seen in public with me. I lived for those people. I didn't deserve their love and support, but I got it anyways. The point of this show was to do songs that weren't in my usual set list, the personal songs written by me. Without all of the fluff and fake and nothingness. I owed them something. They adored someone who wasn't even real. Someday, they would all realize that the man they idolized wasn't who they thought he was. So, I wanted to give them something to compensate for that, show them the real me. Which… is why I was preforming a concert that bared my heart and soul for once.

**AN: Thank you for reading! I know every writer in the history of fanfiction has asked for reviews... but pretty please? It's really inspiring to know what you guys are thinking after you read, and hopefully it will help my writing.**


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: Disclaimer: Everything Twilight belongs to Stephenie Meyer. I also don't own the song I quoted in this chapter.**

**This took longer than I expected, sorry about that. I don't want to set up an update schedule, the stress of a deadline would make this story a bust. If you're not on alert for this story, I'd recommend checking back in the Wednesday-Thursday-ish area. **

BPOV

I can't exactly tell you what happened during the rest of the car ride. I tried to block Alice's voice out so I didn't have to listen to her love-struck ramblings anymore. I didn't want to hurt her feelings; I just didn't care about her pop star. What I did care about, however, was how easy it was to tune her out. How little effort it took to separate myself totally from reality. Within seconds, I was in my own little world. _How often do I do this?_ I wondered. I didn't want to think about it, though. Instead, I watched the speedometer shoot up as I tried to bring us to our destination. Alright, maybe I didn't care about the destination. Maybe I just wanted out of that beat up truck and my disturbing thoughts.

As we pulled into the parking lot of the bar, I was surprised. First, there weren't nearly as many cars as I thought would be there. There were more than usual, definitely. But this was an-cue the screaming girls- Edward Mason concert! I had thought the place would be packed. This must be some kind of exclusive thing.

The other reason I was surprised was that I had been to this place before. I knew it looked familiar, but I couldn't pinpoint any specific memories. It was a bar, after all. Maybe I was too drunk to remember the precise points. I cringed. Unfortunately, I'd put myself in positions where that would be very possible. Again, I shook the unpleasant thoughts off. I took a deep breath and followed Alice into the strangely familiar den of a bar.

EPOV

The stage was set. People were filing in. Waiting, expecting me to give them the time of their lives. I was ready, excited even. It had been too long since I'd been excited for a show. I used to bask in the attention and love I got from this profession. Now I hated every minute of it. I thought maybe tonight could be different. I could have fun, even. My manager, James, wasn't in Seattle; he had some sort of emergency to attend to across the country. That was why this show was even possible. There would be no way I could do this if James were here. But without him trying to babysit me and mold me into his tool to achieve fame and fortune, I could do whatever I wanted. I could be me, for once._ What a refreshing thought._ With that in mind, I was ready to be up on stage. I wanted to be there. I took a deep breath to steady my nerves.

When I stepped onto the stage, my face broke into a smile a mile wide.

BPOV

Alice left me. I didn't even know where she went; I just hoped she'd be back soon. I was extremely irritated with her; she knew I didn't do well in crowded places alone. I'd seen too many guys giving me creepy stares tonight to be comfortable on my own.

Mason wasn't up yet, so I just sat at our table with nothing to do. My mind wandered to a lot of different (and a few weird) things, when...

"_Hello, beautiful, can I buy you a drink?" I looked up at a beautiful man with dark skin and a broad smile. I smiled at him sweetly._

"_I'd like that, thank you."_

What... was that? I sat there, shocked, as I tried to block out the memories of _him_ that I never even knew I had. I hadn't directly thought of him, pictured his face in nearly a year. My poor mind couldn't handle this right now.

As I had a little more time to think, I realized why my memories popped up unannounced... and uninvited. This was the place where I first met _him_. This was where I looked up from my lonely table and into the eyes of my... Prince Charming... for the first time.

I didn't think I could stay there, I really needed to find Alice. But as soon as I stood up to look for her, I noticed that there was a commotion up by the stage. Everyone was standing up and trying to find the best view for them to see the performance. It seemed like Mason had decided he was ready to play.

Alice was so short, with everyone standing up it was going to be impossible to find her. It wasn't even really worth looking._ Well, I came all the way out here, I might as well watch the show_, I thought. I walked closer to the stage and found a spot where I could both see the whole stage and not be in a crowd of people.

When Mason walked onto the stage, my eyes went wide and I'm pretty sure my heart stopped for a second.

EPOV

The crowd was great. Not at all what I was used to, but great. There was no screaming and reaching out to touch me. I actually felt like I could walk to the edge of the stage without intoxicated girls reaching out and trying to grab my crotch. Tonight I was welcomed with cheers and applause and genuine smiles. I felt appreciated, but not obsessed over. It was a welcome break from my everyday life.

As I scanned the audience, I noticed some who looked... different from the rest. She was a girl, standing on the edge of the mass of people in front of the stage. It appeared that she was alone, and she looked uncomfortable. She was very pretty, not in an obvious way, but there was something about her curvy but not exposed body, her beautiful but unstyled hair, that made her seem innocently beautiful. Possibly the most striking thing about her, though, was her eyes. She looked haunted. You may not have even been able to see it from just a glance, but it was there. I could tell she was trying to hide it. I needed to know why she looked so sad. Maybe I could make it better. I decided that I'd keep an eye on her tonight, and try to talk to her after the show.

I made some opening remarks to the crowd. Them seemed surprised but not upset that it would only be me and my guitar tonight, just playing my music and a few covers. I was running a little bit behind schedule, so I started playing soon after. The whole time, I kept a subtle eye on the beauty at the edge of the crowd.

BPOV

Edward Mason was... absolutely beautiful. I'd always thought he was a product of makeup and airbrush, but I was so wrong. Here he was, in the flesh and blood, and he was gorgeous. For some reason, he kept looking at someone standing next to me. I looked around and couldn't find anything remarkable.

I tried to pay attention to his singing, but I don't think I was trying hard enough. That is, until he looked me right in the eye as he started a new song. I was sure he couldn't have been looking at me before, but now there was no question. I tried to make sense of the lyrics as he sang.

"...Take time to realize, oh, oh, I'm on your side

Didn't I, didn't I tell you

Take time to realize, this all can pass you by

Didn't I tell you

But I can't spell it out for you

No, it's never gonna be that simple

No, I can't spell it out for you..."

It was beautiful, but I didn't understand it. Was it for me? Was he just trying to give the song a personal feel? I was mystified. Once the song was over, I was interrupted from my thoughts by a text message from Alice: "Sry, got caught up w an old frnd. Catch you in 30?"

I sighed. In relief or exasperation, I didn't know. On one hand, I knew she was safe. On the other, she ditched me and the show was about to end. What was I supposed to do for a half hour?

When the show finished, I went back to my lonely table and prepared to wait for Alice. I looked up when I heard someone approach. Mason. Oh, wow.

"Hello, beautiful", he drawled and gave me a self-satisfied smile. I think a lot of things accounted for my opinion changing of him in just a few seconds. First, the words he said. I was instantly brought back to my newly discovered memories of _him_ saying the exact same first words to me. If he was any indication of how things would go after the first encounter, I was out. Secondly, the _way_ he said it. I remembered what I thought about him before I walked into this bar. How he got anything he wanted, including girls. And he didn't have to do anything for it. I narrowed my eyes a bit.

"Hi," I replied curtly and looked in the opposite direction. Apparently this didn't sit well with him. He sat in the chair across from me and continued, undeterred.

"Doing anything fun tonight?"

I probably shouldn't have reacted so harshly, but I was upset. I wasn't the kind of girl that was going to give in to him like just about anyone else would. He was charming, he was handsome, but what about the inside? I hadn't seen it yet, and here's the thing: _I didn't want to._ I couldn't afford to let anyone in, especially this arrogant guy who seemed to think he could walk up to anyone and they would become his.

"Actually, I'm trying to find a friend. So if you'll excuse me..."

I walked away from him quickly. I saw him give me a dubious stare as I strode away.

_I don't want to know Edward Mason. I don't want to know Edward Mason. _Change in tactics.

_I don't need to know Edward Mason. I don't need to know Edward Mason. _

**AN: The song Edward is covering in this chapter is called "Realize" by Colbie Caillat. As always, I'd love to know what you're thinking while you read this chapter =)**


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: Disclaimer: Everything Twilight belongs to Stephenie Meyer.**

**Last update of the summer! Hopefully Chapter 4 will be out soon and I can get on to a more regular posting schedule. Thanks to those who are reviewing =)**

**BPOV **

I was relieved when we left the bar after Mason's show that night. As we drove away, I could feel my chest loosening and my mind and body relaxing. I hadn't realized it at the time, but spending the evening at that place took a major toll on me. Add that to spending time in a crowded, loud room without Alice and I was ready for a good night's sleep and some solitude. It was my automatic response to any kind of stress. Barricade myself from the world. The one person I refused to barricade myself from, though, was Alice. Even thought I was a bit ticked at her for ignoring me all night, I wasn't going to make a big deal out of it. She needed to have a life outside of taking care of me, and if that meant that I had to fend for myself sometimes, then I'd just have to deal.

As I pulled myself out of my musings, I realized that Alice was being incredibly quiet. Usually my friend was talking a mile a minute, but I don't think she'd said a word since we got into the car. I looked over at her, concerned. At this point I was worried that I'd left her at the bar. But no, she was sitting right beside me, staring out the window. She had a thoughtful look on her face, a small smile on her lips. I wondered what she was thinking about, but I wouldn't ask her. She would tell me when she was read. There was no way I would pry. I would never do anything, no matter how insignificant, that would start a conflict with her.

That night, I found myself sitting in my living room, alone, watching television. This is what I thought I needed. Time for myself, peace and quiet with no one else around. But I couldn't quite enjoy this "me time" tonight. I couldn't get _those_ eyes, _that_ voice out of my head. I tried to focus on something, on anything else, but it was impossible. He would haunt me forever, there was no way around that. Despite his efforts, there was no way to make him really leave me now. If I could, I would erase every single memory I have of him from my mind. _No_, I reasoned with myself. _You deserve all this._ If I had the power to do all that, I'd have to erase _myself_ from _his_ memories. Would that help, would that make it all better for him? Of course it would. But since I had no such powers and was getting tired of arguing with myself, I went to bed to get everything off my mind.

Too bad I couldn't escape him in my dreams.

**EPOV**

I watched, dumbstruck, as she walked away from me. What had I done wrong? I was just trying to keep her company. She looked so sad, I wanted to help. I didn't understand what could make her react that way. I don't know what came over me while I was singing. I guess I thought that song contained a message I had to convey to her. Maybe that I was, as the song had said, on her side. That couldn't be what had upset her. I went through our conversation in my head and couldn't find anything that could be considered offensive. Sure, I turned the charm on a bit, but didn't girls like that stuff? Admittedly, I didn't have much experience with women who weren't just fan girls, but I was trying to help her. And what did I get in return? She practically spit on my offer of kindness. I shook my head. Women. I didn't understand them. On the other hand, I would never need to understand this infuriating girl. When would I ever see her again?

I got up, sighed, and went to greet some of the fans that attended the show. I was really very lucky tonight; they were amazing. I felt accepted and supported when I was up on the stage. Regardless of the fact that I probably didn't deserve this treatment from my beloved Seattle, I appreciated it. This never happened when I did shows the traditional way. Maybe I could convince James to... yeah right. _Enjoy __this while it lasts, Cullen. _As soon as James got back, everything would turn to normal. Like those fairy tales my mom used to tell me before bedtime, like Cinderella. At the stroke of midnight all the magic would end and she would have to leave her prince to go back to her crappy life.

I heard my friend Jasper calling my name. "Come on Edward, let loose a little!"

I decided there was no reason to dwell on the negative and took my own advice._ Enjoy it while it lasts._ I tried, believe me. But as I spent the night just trying to have a good time, I was more than a little irritated when the mysterious girl from earlier kept invading my thoughts. What was her name again?

**BPOV**

The next few days passed without much event. I told Alice that I needed some time, and thankfully, she backed off. Alice knew it wasn't a personal thing, sometimes I just needed to be alone. The truth was that I just didn't know how to deal with the new memories I uncovered when we went to the Edward Mason concert. I knew I was overreacting, but I couldn't help it. I didn't want to be in a situation where I had flashbacks ever again. I didn't _want_ to remember. Some things are much better buried. So, I reasoned, I just wouldn't go out. Of course, I wasn't thinking straight at that point, but I did call Alice and tell her I needed a while. I occupied my mind with reading and music, and when that didn't work I went out and volunteered at the homeless shelter. I loved to volunteer. It's something that was _mine. _I loved helping people and getting my mind off of things. And, maybe it was a bit selfish, but I also think I was trying to atone for my sins by donating my time to others. Maybe it would help me, and maybe my efforts were totally ignored by a higher power.

Regardless, this was how I was spending my days until I got a phone call from Alice.

"Bella! How have you been?", my friend shouted excitedly from the other end of the line. It seemed my alone time was up.

"I've been okay, Alice. What's up?"

"You need to get ready! I'll be over at your place in 20 minutes to pick you up!"

"What? Where are we-" I was interrupted.

"I gotta go Bella! See you in 20, love ya!" The line disconnected. I didn't know what to think. Alice was sometimes spontaneous but this was a little out of my comfort zone. Regardless, I made myself presentable and was ready for her when she pulled up in front of my apartment complex.

I knew that when Alice left me during the Mason concert, she had found an old friend and was catching up with him. Now she wanted to go have dinner with him. How I fit into this equation, I wasn't sure.

"He's bringing a friend, Bella. Wouldn't it be so nice for all four of us to be friends?", she looked so hopeful. I knew it upset Alice that she was my only friend, but I was okay with it. I shrugged her off, not wanting to hurt her feelings. But I didn't need another friend. Now maybe it would have helped if I went into that restaurant with an open mind. Then again, maybe it wouldn't have.

**EPOV**

Bella. Bella Swan. That was the name of the girl that had been on my mind since my last concert. The infuriating, rude girl who was apparently too good for me. I know this because I was set up on an unofficial date with her.

"It'll be fun, just the four of us. But not as a date; Alice says she doesn't date." Now, knowing who he was talking about, I'm not at all surprised that she doesn't date. Maybe she thinks she's too good for anybody, not just me.

Dinner was awkward, to say the least. For me it was anyway. Probably for Bella too. It seemed like Jasper and Alice hit it off pretty well, though. So much for it "not being a date". Looking back, I think it's safe to say that I started it. But throughout dinner, Bella and I were sneaking in biting comments to each other when Jasper and Alice weren't paying attention.

"What's your opinion on the steak? Is it good enough for you?"

"See anything that looks good? Quite obviously, you can get anything you want."

Yeah, I never claimed to be mature. It's not like she was acting very adult-like herself.

**AN: So we got into our character's heads a little more and saw some interaction. Some of you seem to think Bella is a saint, how strange ;) Reviews make my day, even when they conain construstive criticism**


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